DSC_0037

Perfect for making in large batches and freezing for quick and easy portable breakfasts. Sounds like I’m trying to sell you something.

I made 8 of these for my freezer so we’d have a few nice breakfasts when the baby arrives. Somehow there’s only 6 left. If I look in the freezer again this morning, it might have whittled down to 5 or maybe even 4. I don’t understand how they keep disappearing. I’m assuming maybe there’s a hole in the freezer bag, and they’ve been falling out and being kicked under the fridge or something. You know, the same thing that happened to that carton of ice cream we had. And that Tupperware full of mac ‘n cheese with bacon. That’s gone too. Strange…

Breakfast burritos – makes 8

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. breakfast sausage (Bob Evans, Jimmy Dean, etc.)
  • 1 dozen eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
  • salt/pepper to taste
  • 6 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 8 large burrito shells

Other things you’ll need:

  • wax paper
  • aluminum foil
  • freezer bags

Directions:

1) Cook sausage in large pan (or in my case, a wok) until fully cooked and browned. In a separate large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and green onions. Pour eggs into pan/wok and cook on medium high heat, stirring consistently, until eggs are completely cooked. Salt and pepper to taste. Set mixture aside to cool.

2) Spoon egg and sausage mixture onto center of burrito. Top with shredded cheese. Roll by folding short ends towards the middle, then rolling long sides together to seal, placing seam side down. Wrap in wax paper then aluminum foil. Place burritos in freezer bags, squeezing out excess air from the bag.

3) To reheat, remove foil and place wax paper covered burrito in microwave for approximately 1 1/2 minutes. Let cool for 1-2 minutes, unwrap from wax paper and enjoy. Serve with hot sauce or ketchup if preferred.

______________________________________________________________________

DSC_0006 

Cook sausage in large pan (or in my case, a wok) until fully cooked and browned. In a separate large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and green onions. Pour eggs into pan/wok and cook on medium high heat, stirring consistently, until eggs are completely cooked. Salt and pepper to taste. Set mixture aside to cool.

DSC_0024

Spoon egg and sausage mixture onto center of burrito. Top with shredded cheese. Roll by folding short ends towards the middle (right and left), then rolling (top and bottom) to seal, placing seam side down.

DSC_0028 

Wrap in wax paper then aluminum foil. Place burritos in freezer bags, squeezing out excess air from the bag.

To reheat, remove foil and place wax paper covered burrito in microwave for approximately 1 1/2 minutes. Let cool for 1-2 minutes, unwrap from wax paper and enjoy. Serve with hot sauce or ketchup if preferred.

DSC_0041

DSC_0035

Beer battered veggies. I never made them before. I usually use  tempura, Panko, or Italian seasoned breadcrumbs when deep frying veggies.  Reason being that beer batter is thicker and ends up mushy if not done right. Add more flour if you find that the veggies are releasing too much water into the batter. And leave the batter lumpy. The lumpy flour bits will add the crunchiness it needs. I also found that the more watery the veggies are (especially mushrooms – they are sponges) the faster they get mushy if you don’t eat them fast. So it’s best to serve them immediately after frying. The zucchini weren’t that bad though, and held up their crunchiness longer than the mushrooms did after they cooled down. Try this also with shrimp, scallops, onion rings, broccoli or cauliflower.

Another tip is if you’re washing your veggies before dipping into the batter (as you should) make sure they are patted dry with paper towels beforehand. The batter will stick to it more and you will have less splattering oil.

Beer Battered Vegetables

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp. parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/2 cup beer
  • 1 egg white, beaten to form white peaks
  • 1 medium zucchini, sliced
  • 1 pint white button mushrooms  

    DSC_0011

    Directions:

    1) In a mixing bowl, combine flour, Parmesan cheese and salt. Stir in olive oil, egg yolk, and beer. Batter should be lumpy. Fold in the beaten egg white. Dip vegetables in the batter. Fry in deep hot fat, about 375° (shift between medium – medium high heat), a few at a time, for about 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately (with Ranch dressing if preferred).

    *If batter is too watery from the veggies, add more flour.

  • **The mushrooms will release lots of water when frying, so be careful with splattering oil.

    DSC_0029a

    Just some ideas for freezable dinners. I’m actually halfway done with most of these recipes and will probably have enough dinners for the next 6 months, because I’m neurotic and obsessive. I listed them from the easiest recipes first, to the more complicated, to almost completely unnecessary (as in, spring rolls when I need to entertain guests). 

    fried rice 

    Fried Rice Recipe 

    To Freeze: When cooked rice is cooled, place in gallon zip lock bags, and make sure excess air is squeezed out. Store up to a month. 

    To Reheat: Dump rice into a microwavable bowl/dish and reheat in microwave, 1-2 minutes. 

      DSC_0011 

    Roast Chicken Recipe 

    To Freeze: Cut up roasted chicken and wrap tightly in foil. Then seal the pieces in zip lock bags, making sure excess air is squeezed out. 

    To Reheat: Defrost in fridge and reheat in microwave until hot. 

    chilismall  

    Turkey Chili Recipe 

    To Freeze: When chili cools, store in airtight tupperware in freezer. 

    To Reheat: Dump chili into a large pot and cover with lid. Heat on medium/medium high, stirring occasionally until totally heated through. 

     DSC_0141  

    Mac ‘n Cheese Recipe 

    To Freeze: When cooled down, store in airtight tupperware in freezer. 

    To Reheat: Defrost and reheat in microwave. 

    DSC_0104  

    Vegetable Casserole Recipe 

    To Freeze: When cooled down, store in airtight tupperware in freezer. 

    To Reheat: Defrost and reheat in microwave. 

    DSC_0136  

    Pork and Chive Potsticker Recipe 

    To freeze uncooked dumplings:  place dumplings in a single layer (not overlapping) on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet on a flat surface in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. Take them out, and place them in a single layer in freezer zip-lock bags. Place them back in the freezer, flat side down, so they don’t clump together. After 6+ hours when they are totally frozen you can move them around your freezer and they won’t stick together. 

    To reheat (same instructions as on recipe): 

    In a large skillet/pan, heat 2 tsp. oil on medium heat. Place dumplings flat side down, making sure not to overlap them. Brown the bottom (should take a few minutes), just flip one up to check.      

    When the bottom is golden brown, pour enough water into the pan to immerse half the dumplings. BE CAREFUL, AS IT WILL SPLATTER! Use a lid to shield yourself. Then put the lid on the pan, leaving a crack open to let steam out. 

    Cook on medium-high for 5-6 minutes. Take the lid off when almost all the water has evaporated. Carefully scrape off the pan, they will be sticking to the bottom (hence the term ‘potstickers’). 

    Put onto a dish and serve. 

    DSC_0018small (2)1 

    Lasagna Recipe 

    To Freeze: After lasagna cools, cut into squares and place in airtight tupperware. 

    To Reheat: defrost and heat in microwave. 

    meatballs 

    Meatball Recipe 

    To Freeze: Place cooked meatballs in gallon zip lock bags, squeezing excess air out of bags. 

    To Reheat: Drop meatballs into pot of simmering sauce until thoroughly heated. Or defrost and heat in microwave. 

    DSC_0092 

    Pizza Recipe 

    This one is a little different. I would stock up on a few bags of pizza dough and store them in the freezer. When I want to make pizza, I thaw out the pizza dough that morning, and have sauce, cheese and preferred toppings ready. 

    DSC_0076 (2)small1 

     Congee (Rice Porridge) Recipe 

    This one is also different. It’s just an easy crock pot recipe that you can assemble in 5 minutes the night before. And you can enjoy it for the entire next day. Feel free to opt out the preserved duck eggs if you wish, then it’s just a simple rice and chicken porridge. 

    springroll12 

    Spring Roll Recipe 

    Step 1 – making the filling 

    Step 2 – assembling, baking or frying 

    Step 3 – freezing, storage and reheating 

    This one’s incredibly insane, especially just for postpartum dinners. But we’re having so many guests come to see the baby and I feel the need to have these on hand. I would probably just bake these after they are frozen, rather than standing in the kitchen deep frying.

    DSC_0151

    I’ve been saving these bad boys in my freezer for the past couple months, waiting for the right moment to savor them. The time is now, since I’m needing to clear out my freezer for all my homemade freezer meals I’ll be concocting, for when the baby arrives and I won’t be able to spend time cooking meals, let alone brush my teeth.

    As Chris was smacking his lips together enjoying every juicy meaty rib, I told him to enjoy it while it lasts, since we’ll probably be dining on Kraft Mac n Cheese with cut up hot dogs and frozen peas in the next few years.

    DSC_0143

    I combined and adapted a couple different recipes together, since I couldn’t find exactly what I wanted in a rib recipe that I could make in my oven, without a smoker or grill. These were surprisingly smoky and flavorful and you wouldn’t believe that your oven could create these ribs. I know that good BBQ joints take pride in the fact that they use wood chips, smoking their ribs for endless hours and use special secret rubs and sauces that you could never recreate at home.  But just try making these at home yourself and tell me this isn’t better than most ribs you’ve had at restaurants.

    The price isn’t bad either. I bought this rack on sale for $4.50 at the grocery store. That surely beats the $18.99+ we would’ve spent out at a restaurant.

    Dry Rub Oven Baked Pork Ribs (12 ribs)

    Dry Rub Ingredients:

    • 2 Tbsp paprika
    • 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
    • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
    • 1 tsp. salt*
    • 1/2 tsp. celery seed
    • 2 tsp. Cajun seasoning (I used Salamida’s Cajun Blend)
    • 2 cloves minced garlic
    • 1/2 tsp. dry mustard (I used Dynasty Chinese Mustard)
    • 1/2 tsp. cumin

    *If your Cajun seasoning has salt, I would omit using the extra salt listed in the ingredients.

    Other Ingredients:

    • 1 rack pork ribs (12 ribs)
    • 1 Tbsp honey

    Directions:

    1) Mix dry rub ingredients together in a bowl. Message rub into the ribs, cover and refrigerate for 6 hours, or overnight.

    2) Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Cut rack in half and seal each half in aluminum foil, meaty side down, and make sure the seal is facing upward so the juices don’t leak out. Place rib packets on a rack (I used a cookie rack) on top of a baking sheet.  Bake for 4 hours.

    3) Take ribs out, and carefully pour the juices from the aluminum packets into a saucepan. Discard the foil and place the ribs on the cookie rack, meaty side up. Preheat the oven to broil on high. Reduce the sauce on high until it becomes syrupy, add 1 Tbsp. honey. Brush this sauce on top of the ribs and broil in oven for 2-4 minutes (watch carefully!) until sauce is caramelized and bubbling. Take out of oven immediately and serve.

    __________________________________________________________________________

    DSC_0110

    Mix dry rub ingredients together in a bowl.

    DSC_0114 DSC_0116

    Massage rub into the ribs, cover and refrigerate for 6 hours, or overnight.

    DSC_0119

    Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Cut rack in half and seal each half in aluminum foil, meaty side down, and make sure the seal is facing upward so the juices don’t leak out. Place rib packets on a rack (I used a cookie rack) on top of a baking sheet.  Bake for 4 hours.

    DSC_0124

    Take ribs out, and carefully pour the juices from the aluminum packets into a saucepan. Discard the foil and place the ribs on the cookie rack, meaty side up.

    DSC_0130

    Preheat the oven to broil on high. Reduce the sauce on high heat  until it becomes syrupy, then add 1 Tbsp. honey.

    If you don’t have honey, brown sugar is a good substitute too.

    DSC_0136 

    Brush this sauce on top of the ribs and broil in oven for 2-4 minutes (watch carefully!) until sauce is caramelized and bubbling.

    You will want to watch the ribs carefully when they broil. It only takes a short time for them to start burning. I usually leave the oven door slightly ajar so I can be prepared to take them out as fast as possible.

    DSC_0148 

    I served mine with a Korean potato salad (with carrots, potatoes and apples, mmmm) and a side salad with lemon & olive oil dressing.

    motherhood_manifesto

    Even though I’ve only completed 34 weeks, I’m supposed to say that I’m in my 35th week. And 36 weeks would actually be 9 months of pregnancy according to the lunar calendar, because pregnancy is actually 10 months, not 9. Of course, this confuses a lot of people, so it’s easier to say that I have 6 weeks left. Of course, that requires some simple math of counting backwards from 40, and if you can’t do that, I can’t be bothered to talk to you anymore.

    I’ve been getting asked if I’m excited yet. And I’m not sure how to answer that. Is it wrong to not be excited?  Is it wrong to just feel content that everything is going ok so far? Babies are hard work. We didn’t plan this because we wanted babies, but you need to get pregnant to have babies, that turn into kids, so you can have a family. It’s a change of lifestyle that we’re willing to make to have a family. We didn’t get pregnant because we wanted babies, and I guess that sounds like a horrible thing to say. Babies are not always full of rainbows and bunnies and unicorns. Sometimes they will be, when you first see them smile, learn to crawl, laugh, sit up, smash pureed peas all over their face because they can’t find their mouths, walk, say their first word, or poop in a toilet. But most of the time, you’ll be changing diapers, sometimes 10-12 times a day, breastfeeding every 2-3 hours throughout the night every night for months, cleaning explosive diarrhea off your clothes, try to stop them from crying, or figuring out why they’re crying, worrying when they get sick, if they don’t put on enough weight, if they’re reaching all their milestones on time.

    It also doesn’t mean we’re not going to like having a baby either (since it will be our baby). But I don’t have to love babies in general to love my own baby. Which is why I don’t listen to people anymore when they say to me, “No offense, but I can’t imaging you being a mother.” Which I’ve heard more times than I cared to. Am I going to be a bad mom because I don’t go gaga over other people’s babies or children? Because I don’t like changing diapers? Of course not. First of all, I don’t think anyone enjoys changing poopy diapers. And if they say they do, they are delusional. Secondly, why do you HAVE to like other people’s babies/children? I mean, I like some of them, and I don’t like others. Just like grown-ups, I like some and dislike others.

    I just read a great comment from a reader replying to my last pregnancy post. She was talking about what she calls the ‘Pregnancy One-Upmanship’, where women seem to compare how much more awful their pregnancy was compared to yours. Even if you haven’t experienced pregnancy, you probably experience the one-upmanship in your everyday lives. “Oh, you only got 4 hours of sleep last night? Well, I only got 2 1/2, so beat that!” “Um…ok, I guess you win….?”

    Along with the Pregnancy One-Upmanship, there’s the infamous ‘Labor & Delivery One-Upmanship’. Which can go both ways depending on how the game is played by the two opponents. Women can compare how awful and painful and hellish their L&Ds were (“I was in labor for 36 hours.” “Oh yea? I was in labor for 40 hours!”), or they exclaim how easy and stress-free and painless it was (“My labor only lasted 4 hours, and it was so easy, the baby just slid out of my body!” “Well, I was 10 cm dilated and didn’t even notice.”).

    Last but not least, there is the ‘Motherhood One-Upmanship’ game. This will probably last your entire life if you bother to play it (which I don’t). Mothers are pressured to show the world how perfectly effortless motherhood is for them. There are the Stay at Home Moms vs. Working Moms, breast-feeding moms vs. formula moms, cloth diaper moms vs. disposable moms, vaccinating vs. non-vaccinating, feeding on a schedule vs. feeding on demand, and so on, and so on. Why do women feel the need to top each other? It doesn’t prove whether they’re a good mom or not. All it proves is that these women compare themselves to other women in order to justify what they believe they’re doing is right. In the end, who cares? Push aside all the unnecessary drama and do what you think is best for your children. That’s what a good mother would do. Sometimes I think this competitiveness is used to fill in all the gaps from the shock of acclimating to a new (sometimes boring, or redundant) lifestyle. Or because we’ve been going through life competitively because that’s what we’re raised to do. We start early in school; rather than getting an education, sadly we get trained for jobs. Therefore, we treat motherhood as a competitive job rather than a rewarding life experience.

    It did bother me that so many people had the gall to tell me they didn’t think I’d be a good mother, or that they couldn’t imagine me being a mother. Of course, this is from people who aren’t parents either, so I know not to take it too seriously. But I asked my husband if he thought I’d be a good mother. Obviously, he thought I would, since he married me. But he did make a good point. Since my usual disposition is content, or neutral…indifferent even, I tend to look at things in more of a realistic rather than idealistic way, even before pregnancy. That doesn’t make me cynical though. So he thinks the transition will be smoother for me more so than, say, someone who expects certain things from motherhood but gets something overwhelmingly different, or maybe even disappointing. I expect to get very little sleep, to be utterly exhausted, to break from stress, to ask – ‘what did I get myself into?’, to be overwhelmed with cooking, cleaning, getting groceries, performing the once simple tasks that now take 10x as much time with a newborn, to cancel plans with people because things just aren’t working out at home, to look like a slob, to not shower as much as I’d like, to stop wearing makeup, etc. Hopefully, it won’t be like THAT all the time, but I do plan for it. Being a good mom doesn’t mean you need to be ecstatically joyous and happy 24/7. It doesn’t mean you won’t make mistakes. 

    And that’s ok.

    © 2010 Soupbelly Suffusion WordPress theme by Sayontan Sinha
    Blog Widget by LinkWithin